If a wireless carrier offered guaranteed hardware and software updates for your Android device would you be more likely to sign a 2-year service contract? Verizon might be headed in that direction if we are to believe a tip from Kellen B. of Droid-Life who says a “Droid loyalty program” is in the works.

If Verizon were to marry guaranteed software updates with a hardware upgrade program similar to Best Buy’s Buy Back program, they might lure in all the early adopters that love to have the latest hardware but worry about their device being outdated months after their purchase.

I’m a fan of the no-contract model and that’s why I’m still a T-Mobile customer, but the idea of always having the latest Android experience guaranteed combined with Verizon’s 4G LTE network might persuade me to sign my name on the dotted line.

What kind of “Android loyalty” program would you like to see your carrier offer?

Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and HTC One as his daily devices. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. | Ethics statement

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That would be wonderful! It really pains me to have outdated software ><;; Each little improvement can breathe life into an old device.

Nathan

How about a nexus loyalty program? Wouldn’t that be something? :)

Galen20K

If T-Mobile had a program like that, I would totally go for it. I’m always buying the newest phones and I usually keep all of them, but maybe I would consider selling one or two of them back…. naw, I’d probably still keep them! #addict

Scott

It depends on the details – if I were given a guarantee of *timely* updates, then yes. At most 4 months from when the AOSP releases the source code until my phone runs the latest version. And if the carrier failed to deliver the update on time, I should be able to cancel my contract without the ETF penalty. Barring that, I won’t be considering a phone other than a Nexus and I’ll probably skip the 2 year contract.

Lekz

I definitely would :D. Of course, it depends on details, like Scott said.

Darwin

It could be cool, but the problem right now is that while most devices get updated, it just isn’t in a very timely fashion. I think it’s amazing that some devices are just getting Gingerbread when it was released on the Nexus S basically a year ago.

mexican001

Something like this could boost Samsung’s sales a lot. I mean, many users consider other phones than the Galaxy S just because of Samsung’s bad reputation on updates.

http://droidsamurai.blogspot.com DroidSamurai

Sorry, but it sounds TOO GOOD to be true. First of all, while I have no number to prove it, but the number of Verizon Android users that aren’t already on its 2 year contract is probably very very low. After all, you have almost NO saving when you buy your own phone and sign up with the big V’s non-contractual service. Now, you tell me, why would Verizon offer something NEW when most of its Android users are already on its contract? To lure people from other carriers, may be? But I seriously doubt how many customers they could get just by such assurance program.

However, if you told me that Verizon is going to charge an additional fee for the “Droid loyalty program”, then I could believe it. Greedy evil corporations always come up with new fancy ways to charge you more, don’t they?

Willis

Droid loyalty program…lol….scared of the iPhone???
iPhone 5 on at&t next month – here i come!!!!!

http://None CaribGrackle

Too good to be true but it would be awesome, seeing as a future option on the carriers here in my country.

Interpol91

Definitely would love this kind of program! Nothing is more annoying the lack of updates. Especially since my phone is still officially on Froyo. Gotta love those Gingerbread leaks though.

Richard Yarrell

At best Verizon better be trying to do something or hope google bails them out other wise they are the lamest carrier in the update game plain and simple. NOBODY beats SPRINT or HTC in the update game verizon fanboys will get on this site trying to talk up there sorry network trying to make people believe they are in the game. When it comes to updates they are DEAD LAST IN THIS ARENA.. OK chime in @snowbdr89 and @squiddy20 the typical trolling Verizon fanboys.. On sprint we don’t have to fake like we have a true EVO because sprint is the FLAGSHIP of EVO LAND the device all carriers love to copy..

me

Too bad it seems Sprint is always giving out botched updates, especially recently it seems every recent update was filled with bugs ie Optimus S and whatever was recently updated.

squiddy20

Yeah “NOBODY beats SPRINT in the update game” …for botched updates. Evo 3D? One screwed up update after another. Something always wound up broken. Kyocera Echo? Update was put out, then pulled, put out again and if I’m not mistaken, still encountered errors. As user “me” states, Optimus S update was also put out, pulled, and then put out again. The Evo 4G also had several update problems. Yeah, Sprint is soooo great at updates. What a blind fanboy/moron.

Also, since you can’t seem to remember a damn thing, let me remind you that I am a Sprint customer, have been for several years, and have no plans on switching. So your talk of me being a “typical trolling Verizon fanboy” is absolutely absurd, unfounded, and 100% wrong. Just because I’m a Sprint customer does NOT mean I feel the same way about the company as you do. It’s called “being objective”. Look it up. But by all means, keep believing what you want to believe, as inaccurate as it may be. I’ll keep correcting your sorry, ignorant ass until you finally remember something.

John Perkins

I don’t have any faith that they could actually accomplish timely updates. I’ve been waiting on a Gingerbread update for my Droid Incredible for almost a year now. It sounds to me like a bunch of noise that they’ll be unlikely to back up with any action.

Jesse

I’ve had my droid x on gingerbread for what feels like forever now. If I still used my droid 1 it would have been the same situation. I think

B

Wow they messed up showing the bionic picture on here apparently. I have to admit coming from my OG I LOVE the Bionic I had the charge for just under 2wks loved the screen/HATED the phone. It was like a ferrari body with a Geo Metro engine in it. Pretty but a major piece. I loved my OG it was a very sturdy brick that lasted me all of 2 years with no problems, this REALLY confuses me when I hear people talking bad about Moto builds. I do agree that some are not built as well but it could be argued that is because they are trying to fall more inline with other manufacturers and their 3 gram cell phones. I like the heft that they brought back in the bionic and good for you if you want the Sammy but I’ll stick with my brick :) Don’t get me wrong my TV, BluRay, Surround, and my two computer monitors are all Samsung I love them as a company but not a huge fan of their phones.

But I digress was this story not about some sort of loyalty program not about how stupid I must be for getting the Bionic?

SliestDragon

While I upgrade too often to take advantage of this(every 6 months or so), it’s still really cool to see this. Hopefully more carriers start to do this. Really good idea, and incentive to actually get a 2-year contract.